The Fitbit Charge 3 could launch at the end of 2018. Here are all the leaks and rumours about the update to Fitbit's most popular fitness tracker

Fitbit might be updating its popular Charge fitness tracker soon. Here are all the leaks and rumours

Fitbit has concentrated on its smartwatches for the last year or so but leaks suggest the company will update its most popular fitness tracker at this year’s IFA trade show in Berlin.

The slim Charge 2 is a popular Fitbit given its size, price and features but it looks like it’s about to be replaced with the Charge 3. Fitbit does normally wait a little while to update its trackers, partly because it has no trouble selling them by the bucket load, and partly because the updates to the ranges are normally quite big.

Here are all the rumours.

Fitbit Charge 3 release date

With leaks happening in August, it’s likely that the Fitbit Charge 3 will launch at IFA, the technology tradeshow in Berlin. IFA runs from 31 August to 5 September 2018.

The Fitbit Charge 2 launched at IFA 2016, so it makes sense that the Charge 3 might launch at IFA 2018. If it doesn’t land then, we’d still expect

Fitbit Charge 3 price

The Fitbit Charge 2 costs £139.99/$149.95 so we expect the Charge 3 to costs the same – and replace the Charge 2 in the Fitbit line up.

The Fitbit Versa smartwatch costs £199.99/$199.95, so the Charge line is a cheaper way to get many of the same features in a slimmer design.

Fitbit Charge 3 design, features and specs

So, here are the leaks. The original report claims to have come into press images of the Charge 3 in four different colour and strap combinations.

There is no physical button the left side of the face of the Charge 2, hinting the Fitbit Charge 3 will have a full touchscreen. Before, you had to tap to cycle through menus and then uses the button for other functions.

A full swipe action touchscreen would bring the Charge range in line with the Versa and Ionic smartwatches.

There’s a small indent on the left though, which is likely to be where the grip-like charger can clip on and connect to the contacts on the underside next to the new look heart rate monitor.

This monitor looks slimmer and will mean the Charge 3 can sit closer to the wrist, unlike the bumpy one on the Charge 2. A side view of the gold tracker here shows a more ergonomic fit that looks a lot like the Fitbit Ionic.

The straps also look a lot like the regular and sports straps of the Ionic. This suggests Fitbit is tying its design language into various trackers rather than the random designs it’s been pumping out for years.

The image of the purple and black trackers also shows us how the straps will connect. With the fabric band, there’s a gap present when the regular silicone strap is attached.

With a very similar form factor to the Charge 2, new features are unlikely, though the heart rate monitor should have the SpO2 sensor that Fitbit has on the Versa that it promises will enable more advanced blood oxygen level features in future software updates.

We don’t think the Fitbit Charge 3 will have GPS built in. Currently that is only in the £279.99/$299.95 Ionic and is the main reason it is so expensive. Fitbit will want to sell the Charge 3 for less, but then again with its smaller display maybe the company will surprise us with GPS – more likely is the choice to tether to a phone for this tracking like is possible on the Charge 2.